Arrested Russian archaeologist wanted in Ukraine for Activities in occupied Crimea Will Probably be Extradited

Kate Tsurkan, 'Poland approves Russian archaeologist's extradition to Ukraine over work in occupied Crimea' Kyiv Independent March 18, 2026

A Polish court, acting on Ukraine’s request, has approved the extradition of Russian archaeologist Aleksander Butyagin to face charges over his activites in occupied Crimea. Butyagin’s arrest has clearly already had a chilling effect on academics in the Russian Federation.  At the end of January 2026, they were advised by Russia’s ministry of science and higher education to carefully assess whether they should travel to any of those countries in the EU, G7 and one or two others who have, in full accordance with international law, sanctioned Russia over its war of aggression against Ukraine.  Butyagin was arrested in Warsaw on 4th December 2025, Butyagin had been travelling around Europe giving public talks to Russian-speaking audiences. He was aware that a Kyiv court had issued a warrant for his arrest in April 2025 - but arrogantly assumed that he would not be arrested in the European Union. Since his arrest, he's been held in a Warsaw prison for allegedly conducting illegal excavations and plundering artefacts from the ancient city of Myrmekion in Crimea - Ukraine's peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.

A senior scholar at the Hermitage, Russia's largest art museum in St Petersburg, he has since 1999 overseen the museum's excavations of Myrmekion, an ancient Greek settlement founded in Crimea in the 6th Century BC. Initially, his research was authorised by Ukraine. But when Russia annexed the peninsula in March 2014, the work continued without Kyiv's consent and carried on after the full-scale invasion eight years later. He could face a jail term of up to five years if found guilty of plundering artefacts, including 30 gold coins, resulting in damage estimated at more than $4.5m (£3.4m) [...] Russia's excavations in Crimea are illegal under the 2nd protocol to The Hague Convention for the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict. Ukraine and most European countries are parties to the protocol, but Russia is not.

But that is no excuse for ignoring Ukrainian law on territory that still belongs to Ukraine (though Russia - alone - contests that). The archaeologist should have thought twice before entering an illegally occupied territory for excavations. It is highly problematic, both legally and ethically. To put that in context, it has been pointed out by Vladimir Tikhonov in Oslo that, principles aside, in reality he had few alternative choices:

"Had he, a researcher at a state museum, protested the illegal annexation, he would have been fired and either arrested or forced into exile - from which he wouldn't have had any opportunities to do excavations on Russia-controlled territory. Could we, who (luckily) never faced a choice of this kind, blame him for his conformism? Could I myself choose principles rather than continuation of a research career in such a situation?"

Butyagin is currently in a detention centre in Warsaw, and a motion to release him on bail has been turned down. He is appealing the extradition.

Update 21.3.2026

Reportedly, the Russian government has officially submitted draft law No. 1181659-8 to the State Duma, allowing the extraterritorial use of the Russian Armed Forces by presidential decision to "protect" Russians detained, held, or prosecuted abroad under decisions of foreign or international courts whose jurisdiction Moscow does not recognize.

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